Summary of Urban Sprawl
Jane 12170046 A2 Steve Finished on April 5
In the article, "Urban Sprawl, Global Warming and the Limits of Ecological Moderization"(2005), Gonzalez argues that the rapid development of urban sprawl has been environmentally harmful due to the emissions of greenhouse gases and the narrow solution to global warming through further development of technology proposed by business groups. He criticizes the shortcomings of the business groups approach and states his own concept. Urban sprawl brings business corporates a great number of economic benefits such as increasing land values and expanding markets, while it also creates magnificent energy consumption for transportation.
Gonzalez points out that the international business organization the Global Climate Coalition which stands for fuel industry is actively against reducing greenhouse gases by government regulations. The author claims that another two international business groups the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the International Chamber of Commerce, which stand for car industries and oil companies, are business-led policy discussion organizations on global warming. He puts forward that the companies support to decrease greenhouse emissions through developing technology such as electric cars and ecological modernization -- the idea that it is responsibility of business organizations to make their activities less environmentally harmful. Nevertheless, Gonzalez criticizes the conception weak and argues that it depends greatly on technology without considering environmentally sensitive land management. He explains that there are two defects in WBCSD's suggestions: Firstly, ecological problem could just be transferred from one aspect to another of one ecosystem; Secondly, no effective technology has been developed to solve global warming. In addition, according to the author's view, business groups such as oil sector and car company keep off the question of urban
In the article, "Urban Sprawl, Global Warming and the Limits of Ecological Moderization"(2005), Gonzalez argues that the rapid development of urban sprawl has been environmentally harmful due to the emissions of greenhouse gases and the narrow solution to global warming through further development of technology proposed by business groups. He criticizes the shortcomings of the business groups approach and states his own concept. Urban sprawl brings business corporates a great number of economic benefits such as increasing land values and expanding markets, while it also creates magnificent energy consumption for transportation.
Gonzalez points out that the international business organization the Global Climate Coalition which stands for fuel industry is actively against reducing greenhouse gases by government regulations. The author claims that another two international business groups the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the International Chamber of Commerce, which stand for car industries and oil companies, are business-led policy discussion organizations on global warming. He puts forward that the companies support to decrease greenhouse emissions through developing technology such as electric cars and ecological modernization -- the idea that it is responsibility of business organizations to make their activities less environmentally harmful. Nevertheless, Gonzalez criticizes the conception weak and argues that it depends greatly on technology without considering environmentally sensitive land management. He explains that there are two defects in WBCSD's suggestions: Firstly, ecological problem could just be transferred from one aspect to another of one ecosystem; Secondly, no effective technology has been developed to solve global warming. In addition, according to the author's view, business groups such as oil sector and car company keep off the question of urban